The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-18
ALEx'a PosEY.


: Some Of the oldest and most estimable citizens
81 Shawneetown were talked with in regard to
This tradition Of the parentage of General Posev
They had heard 1T as far back as they could re-
member, and with such positveness that they
looked upon it as veracious although unwritten
history. There was no question, they said, hut
that those who lived in Shawneetown when Po-
sey did regarded him as the son of Washington
One fact In the way of corroboratve testi.ncay
was the striking resemb lance in form and feat
ure. This resemblance was transmitted to the
sons OF General Posey, and added TO the strength
of the tradition.
While the relationship was matter of COM
mon information in early times it was not a mat
tel of public talk. There were occasional ref
to it about the Preside. but it was one of
those peculiar facts which people treat as to be
understood rather than to be discussed. The ex-
PLANTATION for this is that the Poseys were proud
dicnifed men, and never referred to the subject
themselves
Tie oldest physician in Shawneetown. who in
his youth the family doctor of the Poseys
and who attended one of tho sons of the General
1t his death. said TO the writer that he had heard
the story when he came to Shawneetown to set
tie. He was fresh from the completion OF his
medical studies and was just beginning TO prac-
tice. That was sometime after General Posey's
death. This physciau's professional relations
with the family gave him opportunities to salts
fly his curiosity aud he improved them. Said
he: "Fhere is no doubt in nv mind that Gen.
Posey was the son of George Washington. His
family so understood it and / received my i'm
preston from the ladies of the family. They
were rather reluctant TO speak of the subject as
1t seemed to be the understanding among them
that il should not be talked about When they
told me what they did they cautioned me against
referring to it in the presence of the sons of
General Posey. So far as know the men folks
never referred to the matter in any way what
over. The resem Dlance of the son, whom at
tended on his death bed, to the pictures we have
Of Washington was certainly very remarkable
az. had hintxf 100
features"
To the inquiry whether he had ever seen or
heard Of anything of a document character 60
ing to show the relationship between Washing
ton and Posey the old physician replied that he
had not From what he had and known
about the Posey family ne believed they would
not have permitted such evidence to continue
long in existence. They were PROUD sensitive
people, and preferred to ignore the relationship
if it existed.
Recently this story, as told in Shawneetown
was briefly related to Mr. Answorth r. Spot
ford, who for many years has had charge Of the
congressional library IN Washington. Mr..
SDofford is the intimate friend of Bancroft. and
probably has read and heard more about Wash
ington than has any other living man except the
historian.
Have they anything but tradition to base it
uponp asked Mr.. Spofford when he had listened
to the story
The narrator was bound to say that it was all
tradition so far as Shawneetown folks were con-
cerned.
Then Mr.. Spofford, whose own mind is the
pest catalogue of that vast collection OF books,
and periodicals. and publications of every sort,
undertook to furnish what the literature of this
country has preserved regarding Gen. Thomas
Posey. Rather strange to say. the general his
tories ana biographies make but very meagre
references TO him. They show that he possessed
all his epltaph claims for him as official honors.
lie led the charge at Stony Point He was
brigadier-general in the army. He was Lieuten-
I'M nf l..
United States Senate from Louisiana in 1872
and ho was Governor of Indiana Territory from
1873 to 1916 The early histories and bjoera-
phes mention these facts briefly. Later publ
cations repeat them, and there history stops
This is all that is handed down a grateful re-
public about n man of such prominence in its
early development.
1T is possible there may be something in the
Port Folio,n suggested Mr.. Spofford as he wen,
after the index and ran his eyes down the list OF
P's Probably nobody but walking encyclope
dia would have thought of looking in the Port
Folio for the desired information. How many
Folio, or ever heard of i'll Yet the Port Folio
was. in 1924. what the Century, the Atlantic, OF
the North American is TO day.
Yes, here is Something said the librarian
and he sent an assistant TO n remote corner Of
the great library warehouse. for in its present
over-crowded condition the Congressional
Library is not library.
In the old leather bound volume of severa
nufnoers.of the Port Folio for 1924 appears
sketcn OF General Posey, interesting for what i
contains, and also interesting for some things j
does not contain
Ihomas Posey,' says the anonymous writer,
was born of respectable parentace, near the
Potomac. In Virginia. on the 9th Of July, in the
year 1852
That - all the biocrapher. who becomes eulo
gistic enough when he reaches other mportan
events IN the career has TO say about Genera
Posey's birth.
In 1850 Gecree Washington was q young ma,
OF eighteen His father had been burned on
on Ponies creek in Maryland, short distance
from the Potomac and had moved TO farm